A 4-1/2-hour drama recounting the armed rebellion by Taiwan’s indigenous Seediq tribes in 1930 against Japanese colonial rule leads nominations at this Saturday’s 48th Golden Horse Awards, that honors the year’s best Chinese-language cinema.

Yu Dong, producer of “The Dragon Gate” and CEO of the Bona Film Group announced yesterday at the movie’s premiere ceremony that they will not raise prices and will partake in any form of smear campaign. Dong’s made these comments following the actions of Zhang Weiping, CEO of the production company responsible for “The Flowers of War” who was able to force eight large cinemas to increase the price of their cheapest tickets.

Five of the leading roles including Jet Li, Chen Kun, Li Yuchun, Guey Lun-mei and Mavis Fan made an appearance at the event. However, director Tsui Hark and another lead actress Zhou Xun were absent. Tsui is said to be busy with the post-production stages of the film.

Commercial breaks during television dramas are to be banned from next year, China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television announced on Friday.

“The order is a double-edged sword,” Ren Jianwei, an official of Shanghai’s Drama Channel, told Shanghai Daily. “It will certainly affect our ad revenue, but it will also attract more people to watch TV.”

Low-budget local movie “Love is Not Blind” slayed its competitors of four Hollywood blockbusters at this week’s box office, taking the top spot repeatedly. The constant boom of this romance has a positive significance to guide the production of domestic films and set a good example for low/ medium scale movie. This film’s success indicates that the mode of “good story+ capable director+ talented actors+ suitable market promoting+ marketable distribution schedule” is the very effective approach to earn impressive ticket sales.

Founded in 1945, the Changchun Film Studio, later known as the CFGC after transitioning to a corporate structure, is widely regarded as the cradle of modern Chinese film. The studio influenced generations of audiences with the country’s first feature-length film “Qiao (Bridge)” (1949) and many other acclaimed works.

“Dou Niu (Cow)” (2009) was one of the company’s post-reform masterpieces. The film, depicting a peasant who is tasked with protecting his village’s dairy cow during a harsh winter prior to the founding of the “New China,” received 7 nominations at the Golden Horse Film Festival in Taiwan and premiered in the “Orizzonti” category at the 66th Venice Film Festival.

As the first racing car film dedicated to female drivers, the cast of “Speed Angels” have been revelling in the presence of three award winning actresses - Cecilia Cheung, Rene Liu and Tang Wei since they started filming.

As the film premiered in Beijing, some media reflected that there were wide discrepancies between the plot and the actually historic events. Echoing that opinion, director Daniel Lee said that “the film represents my attitude and perspective of the history, so it will be meaningless if the both are wholly identical.”

The first round of still photos for the gangster film “Cold War” have been released, featuring scenes of explosive action. In order to create authentic explosion scenes, the makers not only utilized a number of special effects, but also invited a demolitions expert to create real explosions. The film starts shooting in October and will be screened in the first half of 2012.

The makers of the comedy blockbuster, “Celebrate Spring Festival with Relatives by Marriage”, recently released a batch of still shots. Produced by Manfred Wong, directed by Raymond Yip, and starring Wen Zhang and Liu Yun, the film is expected to be screened during the Spring Festival holiday slot

16-year-old model Cammi Tse has been a hot topic ever since the recent scandal with Edison Chen, but it is now reported that she had an abortion earlier this year and the father was actor Vincent Wong, who just got married two weeks ago to actress Yoyo Chen

After his 2008 marriage to actress Carina Lau, the pair has been trying to conceive a child with no success. Upon hearing rumours that Andy’s wife, Carol Chu, managed to successfully conceive through artificial insemination, the couple harbours plans to undergo the procedure too.

“The Chinese General tells the dramatic and exciting story of how Morris Cohen’s career became interwoven in the lives of the most important players in the formation of modern-day China,” said Bieber and Duband. Cohen was also a close, trusted friend and protector of Sun’s wife Soong Ching Ling.

As hard as this might be to believe, sex is often best experienced in person. That, however, isn’t exactly stopping any Hongkonger from downloading Japanese porn, at will.

Hayama was shocked when he checked out 1991’s Sex and Zen as part of his professional due diligence.

After I watched the DVD, I thought to myself: I must say no [to the offer]!” he says, alternating between a boyish grin and embarrassed chuckle. “This is not a love story at all!” He exclaims. “This is totally a porno!”

The producers were eager to launch the 3D romp in Imax theatres when the film began production, but after a long negotiation, they found that it was not meant to be. “Imax has rejected our film because of the subject matter and content,” Shiu Jr. said, “but for our premiere in Taiwan, we will show the film in an Imax 3D theatre using their 3D screening equipment.”

College student Yan Shek, 21, was also among the first to see the movie in a morning screening. The 113-minute film has been rated Category III in Hong Kong, which bars anyone under 18 from watching it.

“We are very curious,” she said. “It is the first time to see an X-rated film in the cinema. It should be very interesting.”

The article from Chengdu notes: 1. Director Jin Chen, on the subversion of the classic Sun Bin (Sun Honglei), he says that there are only 180 words in the history book about Sun Bin, the rest is only speculation. Sun Bin was not a perfect person. Jin Chen decided that Sun Bin in real life was a silly character. 2. Sun Honglei’s portrayal has been accused of imitation Ge You in Let the Bullets Fly. Thus, his previous remarks about admitting to his poor performance. Sun Honglei has been suffering from kidney stones during the publicity tour for the film. 3. Francis Ng was asked why all his ‘northern’ i.e., mainland, films are lousy. Ng countered, did you think Wind Blast was bad? Maybe the choice of directors and cast did not meet the audience expectations. He only admits a horror movie was really bad. He dares not make anymore horror films. 4. 22 year-old Jing Tian’s prominence has viewers saying the film should be called “Jing Tian and The Story of Three Men”. It is suggested that her boyfriend, the son of a wealthy coal mine owner in Shanxi, has pressured the producers to highlight the actress. Jing Tian admitted as much saying she was unaware of it and apologized to the three male leads. However, she cleverly noted that actor Yu Shaoqun was an unknown among stars in Mei Lanfang/Forever Enthralled.

In addition, yesterday, rumours said that Sun Honglei and Francis Ng were given a 12 and 6 million yuan acting fee, respectively, by the boyfriend. (Sina)

Peter Chan is rushing to complete post-production in time for the Cannes Film Festival. Presenting it at Cannes leaves him two months less to work on the final cut. The rough cut has been finished but special effects, sound, etc is still incomplete.

The release of A Chinese Fairy Tale has been moved up 4 days to April 19. This announcement was made after the April 13 premiere in Beijing. Louis Koo’s rendition of the song “Dao” was recorded but ultimately deleted. (Sina), 2

Shu Qi went out to celebrate in Beijing after the premiere press conference for A Beautiful Life. Shu Qi’s birthday is April 16th so it was thought to be an early birthday party, too. Andrew Lau, Liu Ye and his wife, Ding Sheng, Tian Liang, Shawn Yue and others also attended.

With: Sam Neill, Li Linjin, Louis Corbett, Wang Ji, Robert Mammone, Jordan Chan. (English, Mandarin dialogue)
By RUSSELL EDWARDS
An admirable attempt to blend Western blockbuster tropes with Chinese motifs, “The Dragon Pearl” lacks fire but is respectful enough not to camp it up despite its broad tone. Billed as the first official Australian-Chinese co-production, this entertaining if lightweight youth-targeted fantasy opened on 3,500 screens in China on March 11, filling a lull at Chinese cinemas with the novelty appeal of a combined English-Mandarin treat. Clearly geared more toward Western than Eastern tastes, pic nevertheless will mine auds in Chinese-language territories first, as it won’t be released in Oz until February 2012.

After a prologue about an ancient Chinese emperor who defeated invading barbarians by borrowing a magic pearl from a dragon, the action proper begins with grumpy Aussie teen Josh (Louis Corbett) and pixie-like, bilingual Chinese girl Ling (newcomer Li Linjin) jetting into Shanghai from their respective hometowns. Ling’s mother (Wang Ji) and Josh’s dad (Sam Neill), both single archaeologists, are excavating a newly discovered tomb that their intense American colleague, Philip Dukas (Robert Mammone), is keen to open.

While their parents are working, Ling, followed by Josh, is drawn to a clifftop temple maintained by comic-relief monk Wu-dong (Jordan Chan, charming). Entering a cavern below Wu-dong’s temple, the teenagers encounter the dragon that loaned the emperor his pearl centuries ago; both pearl and emperor are buried in the soon-to-be opened tomb. Flying with the dragon over the idyllic countryside, the two teens learn by osmosis that Ling is “the chosen one,” destined to reunite the dragon with his still missing, powerful pearl.

In supplying each kid with a workaholic, inattentive parent, the pic feels as though it has a surfeit of characters when a simpler variation would have sufficed. The filmmakers likely assumed the cross-cultural dynamic would maximize their audience, with Australian and Chinese viewers likely to identify with the protagonist from their particular culture; it’s unfortunate, then, that Josh, repping a stereotypical Western adolescent, comes across as self-indulgent and irritating.

The plot doesn’t always make sense, but helmer Mario Andreacchio (”Paradise Found,” “Captain Johnno”) never lets things stall or drag. On the down side, action sequences fail to take full advantage of the martial artistry of regular Hong Kong action director Jacky Yeung.

Perfs are good enough, with Li managing to carry much of the film on her tiny shoulders. Neill seems to be drawing without much effort on past similar roles from “Jurassic Park” onward; by contrast, Mammone does a solid job as the untrustworthy business partner .

Widescreen HD lensing by Geoffrey Simpson has the right Hollywood gloss, and the $18 million budget looks to have taken full advantage of the Chinese yuan exchange rate. Live-action sequences were shot mostly at China’s Hengdian Studios south of Shanghai, but outdoor locations look generic.

CGI work, executed by Oz f/x houses Rising Sun and Convergen, is most evident in the pic’s showpiece dragon; faithful to traditional Chinese designs, the beast has an appealing organic appearance in mid-air. Score by Frank Strangio follows the Hollywood adventure-music template, but with restraint.

Though not indicated on the print caught at the Adelaide fest, pic’s Mandarin title is “Xun long duo bao,” which literally means “Search for Dragon, Grab the Treasure.”

There are unconfirmed reports that Tang Wei’s scenes in The Founding of a Party have been all deleted. The film has been edited down from 2 hours 50 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes currently.(Xinhua)(Sina)

Chen Kun and Zhang Yuqi reproduce a photo of Tsien Hsue-Shen and wife for the upcoming biography Qian Xuesen

Tsien Hsue-Shen (Qian Xuesen) became the father of the Chinese missile program after being deported from the US under suspicion of being a spy. (Sina)

The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman will be without the promotional services of Kitty Zhang Yuqi.

Multiple explanations were cited, it was either due to a work schedule conflict with Qian Xuesen or the issue of her breakup with former boyfriend Barbie Hsu’s fiance, according to sources.

Liu Ye He-Man (Underdog Knight 2)

Liu Ye said that he hoped to emulate the Japanese Tora-san film series and create a long-lived Chinese film series. He-Man opens April 1. (Sina)

Poster for Chase Our Love (lit. Otaku Story)

The film opens April 1 and features a cast that includes Kenny Bee, Stephy Tang, and Alex Fong Lik-Sun. (Sina)

79 year-old Lee Heung Kam is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease according to HK media reports. She does not want to disclose it but was spotted going to the doctor’s with Susanna Kwan. Still working tirelessly on various TV series, Lee suffered a fainting spell on set last year. (Xinhua)

Three Sundays running, online calls for organized “strolls” and a “Jasmine Revolution,” inspired by the recent popular overthrow of Tunisia’s government, were posted to Chinese social networking sites.

On Blu, the visuals and soundscapes are stunning. On DVD, they are good. Both formats share an exhaustive documentary that, at 119 minutes, runs 29 minutes longer than the brisk feature. You see Yimou’s exacting filmmaking techniques. His bravado is even more impressive because you see he was in pre-production while concurrently planning the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ning Hao’s aptly-named and ill-fated No Man’s Land has seen its release delayed again. Rescheduled for a tentative April release, the film was once again postponed. The film began shooting in May 2009 and originally slated for a December 2009 release. After criticisms from the film review board for having no good characters and too many bad guys, the film has struggled to find approval for its release. Meanwhile, Ning Hao has begun work on a new film for 2011 audiences. (Sina), 2

Poster for the thriller Fatal Invitations (Deadly Invitations) based on a best-selling Japanese novel